Honestly this month has been a month of miracles. I honestly believe because my wife and I honored God at the beginning of the year that He has put favor on our year so far. My wife did get approved for her personal line of credit, so she was able to consolidate down some of her debt. I could do a balance transfer, which is why you see my balances go up for the month of April. Fortunately, I could pay off the Wells Fargo term loan, and my goal is to pay off the Prosper loan by the end of May. If everything goes as intended, then I will have an additional $650 per month in income. This additional income I can use to focus on reducing my debt at a faster rate, meeting any living expense needs, saving to invest, or saving in case of emergency. When you’re creating an emergency savings, save at least one month’s worth of income no more than three months’ worth of income.

Paying off your debts will give you a raise. You’ll begin to be able to realize how blessed you are as you break off the bondage of debt. You also won’t know how much you are losing to compound interest until you really look at the numbers. We didn’t make any sales in our organization; however, I sincerely believe in my team. I believe that once they slowly build momentum, it will change their lives for the better both financially and emotionally. Ask yourself. Are you trading dollars for time? I’m continuing to look for ways to be generous not with my finances but with my time, energy, efforts, and connections. I encourage you to look at the win-win scenario and looking at life through the lens of eternity and legacy. A win-win scenario is helping a friend of mine who was looking to sell a car, and another friend who was desperately needing a car. They were able to strike an agreement that worked for the both of them. Finally, my wife passed her test and is now licensed. This journey was four long years of blood, sweat, and tears. Honestly it was a miracle that she passed. There is a powerful momentum building this year.

If you want to learn more about how I’m increasing my income, while reducing debt or if you want to have someone to discuss your debt reduction strategy with, or if you need a financial check-up, contact me.

Also, learn more about how I use the self-lending principle through Mustard Seed in the mustard seed section.

“The LORD will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.”

Stop waiting for happiness and success — you can start achieving them in the present by giving up these toxic things. When we aim to become happy and have a successful outlook, we often focus on getting to the next station in life. Happiness is seemingly always “someday” in the near-distant future — like once we finally land that promotion or find the right partner. I’m a huge proponent of setting new aspirational goals, but I also know the severe importance of having a positive outlook on life. Your inner-happiness needs to be harnessed in the present, so you can use the power of positive thinking to reach those new heights eventually. When you solely focus on the future to be happy, you end up ignoring the toxic habits and attitudes that could be dragging it down in the present. It won’t be a cakewalk, but it is possible to harness a successful and upbeat outlook now with some shifts to your mindsets and habits. The 11 habits you need to give up if you want to succeed are: give up FOMO, give up unrealistic standards of perfection, give up on expecting praise from others, give up on negative self-talk, give up on being defensive, give up the scarcity mindset, give up on being set in stone, give up the short-term mindset, give up on the negativity of others, give up comparison, and give up self-doubt. FOMO stands for fear of missing out. It’s important to evaluate each decision before you make one and not let the fear of missing out govern your strategy. Don’t let your identity be determined by what others think of you, have the courage to see the abundance of life, stay focused on your path, and be flexible. Each mental habit the author encourages you to give up is a negative self-habit on how you respond to the world around you. No man is an island, and we genuinely do need each other at some point to survive. Studies estimate that we say 300 to 1,000 words to ourselves every single minute. If you engage in negative self-talk, that’s a lot of nasty words being thrown your way. That’s why none other than the U.S. Navy SEALs swear by positive self-talk as a way to take on a strenuous day, and to avoid negativity. When their oxygen flow is suddenly cut off underwater, SEALs are able to tough it out by telling themselves that everything is fine and thinking positively. So you can probably also use this tip to get through a day at the office. To start, tell yourself how great your day is going to be as you’re riding the subway or driving down the freeway. If you start encountering a rough morning, go outside for a few minutes and repeat some more positive affirmations to yourself. If you aren’t in the habit of using positive words for yourself then I suggest you find books that have positive themes. Personally, I believe in taking the time to read the Bible. If you take the time to read the book of Proverbs, you will be filled with a wisdom that can truly impact your life. All habits can be changed even if it’s one small step at a time.

The investing world can be a scary place. It can also be exciting. At times, it can seem like there’s nothing to it, and at other times it can seem like the most complicated thing you’ve ever done. All of the thoughts and emotions that are part of investing are enhanced because, after all, you are putting your money and your financial future at risk. Risk and reward go hand in hand when you invest. You can be very conservative and not subject your investments to much risk, but then you are not going to get much in the way of return on your investment dollars. Or you can take a lot of risk, looking for the proverbial home run. That approach can lead to stellar returns, or it can lead to distressing losses. So what is your strategy when it comes to investing your portfolio? Are you actively looking for that one piece of information that will give you the edge you need to catch the next wave of increasing prices of your favorite tech stock? Or maybe you suffer from “paralysis by analysis,” overwhelmed by the information flow and its potential impact on your portfolio? (For related reading, see: Information Overload: How It Hurts Investors.) A newly formed strategy is investing based off President Trump’s tweets. There are a wide range of strategies out there, and this article is devoted to introducing you to the strategy that the author uses. The first building block in the science behind this investment philosophy is the need to embrace market pricing. While that sounds a little complicated, it’s really not at all. It simply means that the financial markets are very efficient and that all of the information available on a particular stock, bond or other investment is reflected in the current price. Millions of investors around the world buy and sell investments every day, and the information they bring to the markets helps to set prices. When some new information affecting an investment comes out, it is immediately factored into the price of that investment. Let’s use the price of Apple stock as an example. If Apple is coming out with a new iPhone soon, you know about it, we know about it, and millions of people around the world know about it. There is no way to profit from any kind of information edge that you might think exists, even if it is only temporary. That’s why it’s not a good idea to run out and buy Apple stock when you hear the news. Years ago, there may have been some pieces of information that took time to work through the markets, but with today’s technology, that time gap has disappeared. Many of us have alerts on our smartphones that let us know in real time when some important news has been released. (For related reading, see: How the Internet Has Changed Investing.) The author recommends using an evidence-based investment strategy, and this strategy requires humility. You must be humble enough to know that you will not know more than the market. I recommend that you find the asset class you are passionate about, and research it in depth through experience, talking with others experienced in that asset class, and vigorous research either online and or through books. Once you have your investment strategy, make sure you have a good mix of assets. Your assets should have two basic strategies one for insurance, and one for wealth-building. The goal is to always look at your strategy through the lens of eternity and legacy. Think about your children’s children and the impact on the world around you.

Laura Vanderkam the author of this video argues that we should consciously spend time on the parts of our job that initially drew us to our job in the beginning. To do more of the things you love, you must recognize that certain aspects of work will expand to fill all available space. She uses e-mail as an example. We should carve out time to go after the higher priority item, and the best way to do this is a power hour. So, for the first hour of the day instead of doing e-mail, work on the first top priority item of the day. Try to carve out Monday morning for whatever is most important to you. And particularly for sort of speculative important but not urgent work that you’re going to have a hard time carving out time for. If you do it Monday morning it’s kind of the equivalent of paying yourself first.This type of process is best for a high priority project but not a urgent project.. Time is our most valuable and precious assets, so it’s important to use effectively and wisely. I’ve found myself getting up early so I can carve out time to manage my spiritual life, and my business life. Arriving earlier to work allows me time to work on larger weekly tasks without having to be stressed. By doing this simple habit, I build margin into my time, and honor the principle of rest and I don’t go into time debt.

If you are uncertain, optimistic or nervous about investments right now, it may be a good time to do a little reading. Knowledge is really the best way to counterbalance emotions, which we know may be running high for some right now. Our advice: Check out what the masters have said. They’ve devoted their lives to understanding investing and captured it all in print. It turns out there is truly nothing new under the sun; their insights apply year-in and year-out. We love original sources, so here’s our top seven books for you to read or re-read. If you don’t enjoy reading, then I challenge you to build this important habit. The books express the author’s ideas more fully than video or audio. Try reading a page out of your favorite book a day, even if it’s a children’s book. If you still don’t enjoy reading, then try an audio version, video summary, or even consult with a respected friend. The top seven books are: Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham and David L. Dodd, Margin of Safety by Seth Klarman, Against the Gods: A History of Risk by Peter Bernstein, Antifragile by Nassim Taleb, The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal, Wealth in Families by Charlie Collier, Classics: An Investor’s Anthology by Charles D. Ellis. Each book will introduce you into the world of risk, and proper thinking of an investor. It’s important to remember that you can’t just do the process, and expect the results, it’s even better to understand the process. Use your own gifts and talents that were given to you since you were born to creatively execute your investment strategy. Also have a budget. You should know what your bottom line number is monthly before you add on the stress of investing. Be willing to lose it all, and have in place an investment strategy for savings and for wealth. If you don’t have a budget in place then please contact me to let me show you my system.

Items in italics are direct quotes from the articles below

Investors often want to compare how the share price of one company compares to that of another. But just looking at the stock price is like comparing apples to oranges since companies have different numbers of shares outstanding, and even if they had the same share float, companies operate in different industry segments or are at different stages in the corporate life cycle. Fortunately, financial analysts have developed a number of tools for such purposes of comparison. The price-to-earnings ratio, or P/E, the most widely used metric. Although it is quite a simple indicator to calculate, the P/E can be difficult to interpret. It can be extremely informative in some situations, while at other times it is difficult to parse. As a result, investors often misuse this ratio and place more evaluative power in the P/E than is sometimes warranted. This ratio measures the company’s stock vs its earnings, which can be measured against other companies. As a basic rule of thumb, a high P/E means the stock price is high compared to earnings which means the company is overvalued and the opposite is true. The link above is an introduction into an in-depth look at the P/E ratio and if you’re interested in learning about how to calculate it and how to and how not to use it in stock price analysis then please follow the link at the bottom of the article. For the sake of brevity, I included just the introduction.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra If you build a house without a plan, what sort of results would you expect? Theoretically, you could get lucky and end up with the house of your dreams. What’s more likely, however, is that the house wouldn’t be anything like what you had wanted. You might need to move the doors and windows, build new walls and take down others – or worse. Investing isn’t any different. Without a plan, you could (again, theoretically) get lucky, but the odds are against it. Without goals – and a well-thought-out plan for meeting those goals – you probably won’t end up where you want to be financially, in either the short- or long-term. You have to make goals to meet goals. Historically investors have tried to beat the market or tried to get the highest rate of return possible. A new approach is goal based investing. This type of investing involves achieving certain life events such as saving for your retirement or buying your first house. The theory is that:

Setting goals makes it more likely that you’ll save for – and achieve – every goal.

You’ll be more motivated to reach a goal since you can gauge its progress.

You can consider the time horizon and risk level separately for each goal, and invest accordingly

Most people work with financial advisors to help achieve their financial goals, but the author advocates that you can be your own financial advisor if you are willing to put in the time and work. Due to the content of this article, I suggest you read the article in its entirety, and I’ve included some more content from the article:

Next, arrange your goals by the time horizon for achieving them:

Short-Term Goals

Mid-Term Goals

Long-Term Goals

Pay for a wedding

Buy a vacation home

Build a nest egg for retirement

Take a vacation

Have the funds to start a new business

Income stream for retirement

Save a down payment for a home

Leave a financial legacy to your family

Save for your children’s education

Rather than just doing all this in your head – write it down. Putting your goals on paper makes them more “real” and you’ll be more likely to think about them. Plus, you can share your goals with your spouse, family or friends – which can give you a little motivational push.

The next step is to attach a dollar figure to each goal. With some goals, it’s easy to say how much you’ll need: for example, you plan on giving your daughter $5,000 (and no more!) to help pay for her wedding, or you want to save $10,000 for a trip to Antarctica. With other goals, it’s a bit trickier to nail down a specific amount, so you’ll have to spend some time crunching the numbers. There are lots of online calculators that can help – just search for the type of calculator you need, such as “retirement calculator” or “college savings calculator” to get started.

Once you have a list of goals and financial objectives for each, it’s easier to plan, budget and choose the right investments. In the next chapter, we’ll look at different retirement and tax-advantaged accounts you can use to meet your goals.

Like anything in life, if you want to become an expert at something, you need to practice your skill and learn from others better than you. Personally, I wouldn’t call myself a financial expert. I’m someone that cares about the financial health of myself and others and I share what I know in the hopes for a better future generation. What is your why?

In December 2016, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised interest rates for the first time in a year, and then raised them again in March 2017. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated that the Fed could raise interest rates even further later this year. But what do rate hikes mean for advisors, their clients and investment portfolios? When interest rates increase, bond prices decrease. And while many analysts expect equities to suffer when interest rates go up – which is what many had predicted for markets in 2016 – these more recent rate hikes have not taken the wind out of the U.S. stock market’s sails. Lately, it seems that when rates rise, the value of equities doesn’t take a hit. But there’s no telling how long this trend will last. (For more, see: Fed Increases Interest Rates at March Meeting.) It’s important to keep in mind that when the market suddenly increases or decreases due to the influence of political, civil, or economic forces, then a market correction will happen soon. Due to the high probability of this event occurring, the author encourages the investor to have a financial advisor to consult with to make sure that his or her investment strategy and portfolio is ready to handle this change. Although advisors can’t predict what is going to happen in the stock market and how it will react to future interest rate hikes, they can take measures to ensure their clients benefit from rising interest rates while taking all potential risks into account. In a simplified example, let’s say a client is a balanced investor which usually means a portfolio is a 60/40 mix of equities and fixed-income investments (such as bonds). In a declining interest rate environment, the asset allocation may be 60% fixed income and 40% equity to take advantage of rising bond prices. In a, rising interest rate environment, the allocation can flip to 60% equities and 40% fixed income to benefit from bullish equities. The client’s risk tolerance always remains intact and slight adjustments are made to take advantage of stock market movements. (For more, see: The 4 Most Important Effects of Rising Interest Rates.) A well-diversified portfolio can hold both domestic as well as foreign investments, but how do rising interest rates affect foreign exchange? If $1 USD equals $1.35 Canadian dollars, the U.S. dollar is stronger. This means it’s not a good time to exchange Canadian money into U.S. currency because Canadians will only receive $0.65 USD for every Canadian dollar exchanged. However, it would be a good time for Americans who want to invest in Canadian currency to take advantage of the foreign exchange while the dollar is strong. When investing in any foreign currency, it’s important to remember to buy low and sell high. This basic strategy doesn’t consider a continuous cash flow, so you must balance this strategy against your cash flow principles. Even the author doesn’t recommend trying to time the market to make a quick return, because what you’re doing is basically gambling.

For many, a six-figure salary is the endgame, the true sign that you’ve made it in life. But, among those who top lists like the Forbes 100, a six- or even seven-figure salary is pocket change, just another step toward true riches. If you’re raring to dial up your earnings and be among the world’s richest, you’ll need to emulate the habits and accomplishments of the wealthy. Here’s how you can get started. The seven steps are: start and commit to your business, make smart investments, invent a solution, pursue your passion, take action, collaborate, and adopt a billionaire mentality. On the Forbes list, most of the billionaires are business owners that scaled their business to make a global imprint. It’s important to take risks, but with a full commitment to your business model and philosophy. You must have a vision that will help as many people as possible for as many generations as possible. It’s important to make smart investments not only in assets but also in the greatest asset you have, yourself. Sometimes, the best inventions are not original but instead innovations or improvements on existing products. A prime example of innovation comes from billionaire businessman Sam Walton, who opened the first Walmart in 1962. What made Walmart an innovation was the idea that the business could expand enough to sell products to consumers at lower prices than other retailers, saving them money on basic necessities. This basic premise transformed the way America shopped, while making Walmart one of the biggest retailers in the world — and Walton one of the richest men. It’s important to pursue your passion, but it’s even more important to put that passion into action. I’ve talked to some aspiring business owners and they can’t seem to gain any traction in their business because they don’t have the necessary commitment to act on their passion. It’s important to collaborate, because essentially no man is an island. You’ll need a team to build a business, so why not have a co-founder? A co-founder who both compliments and challenges your points of view but ultimately has your vision at heart. Rich people have a rich mentality, according to Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think.” He has interviewed over 1,200 of the world’s wealthiest people to uncover the secrets to becoming rich. “While the masses believe becoming wealthy is out of their control, rich people know that making money is really an inside job. It’s a cause and effect relationship,” he wrote on Business Insider. “Anyone can become wealthy. It has nothing to do with your education or where you come from. It’s not what you do that guarantees wealth, it’s what you are.” So, focus on making things and crafting solutions. Create new products, improve current products and help people. But most importantly, be resilient and keep pushing forward